THE STORYTELLER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81917, 6 February 1907, Page 4

THE STORYTELLER.

DIPLOMATS MATCHMAKERS? The hoy (ik-hI ;i pebble into i> M dark- water before Jiiin. and thru watched, discontentedly, the lit!,,. rings liml pursued our another out ward from the centre of disturbance. The C.irl, too, W it w iih dark ov,s beet thouglKi'u.ly upon the little tipples Jllst IwI.MV i■l-r dainty, swinging feet. At length the Hoy looked'up. "Jt isn't so lniieit that I nliiccl to iiuii-ryiiijr am," lie said. "You re a good sort—too good lor any ni.ui/' he continued magnanimously.' -Hut 1 don't like to he driven "into it. It makes a man feel 100 much like a kid being draped to school after a -uiu-m.-r holiday."

The Cirl smiled n lute. She wis a very pretty girl, and when she smiled even prettier, f,.r (lieu one eutighl a glimpse of the whitest of teet.i trained \y the reddest of iip-. And there was a dimple. And these things she 'l'd not realise, which made litem tie more irresistible.

The Roy sat watching he.r |i-s eves roved from the dark. u - ,„| t „, ~ | musses of her hair. ..at acre! i„ -, heavy knot „t the ~. „f |„.,. ~,.,' • u "»' lilt'" >' ;• figure jus, ™l -i- ■■',. u'ene"h, ,!"''"'" "' "'"" ,; " il """'. "n.l hands and t,,e'"idiy swinging Tel "in 'h".r lillle slippers. ■■„„ coo k n „„. hue/ he said at longsi, j„,|;e,0,,-: v •!■■« '«"'■■ itimu, ,„ i R . a ;,. - 7" ,'' ~' l . v I' I ''";' girl. And vo, usee to be so loag-legge,, ; ,nd 5k,,',,,, " J-'tc Otrl reddened a link," "Do jot. w,,;, „„, t0 l„, pleased bv von, praise or angered by VOIII . coti'dctnna t'U"!' she asked. As a neuter • fact, she ,va, „ |, U ;o „f both.' 'l'd rather you'd be pleased." (|„ oy rcplted, "you're so' much me that way." J)o tI „,, w allI)t , " uo ""-' "'(tier. -I'd wisJ , tll( , v ' (| , . »>!. al »»V "«•■ *»'!. >vtuniing'to the ht topic. -They have , w B w s , lt Ul nake us marry. We',,. oM °„ ~ to know our ,*., minds." ihe t.Jirl nodded. "Ves" s ,;i . ••i'i..'i'.-"s »»i.- tb,;,,,, in its lavor ihat I en, ■ >■ v rr ■"'• «m..iIP.. i i spoke hail iviom »"-:"., and she so understood it ;I „,| smiled. ■ '""'

, Thc \'"V '•'•'tm-ned lo hi, grievance'wont do it." he cried. "I'll ~,-trrv :!;[:;„.' d,o^! " u —»■* Thotiirl plaet.-j t | i( . tl)ls (>f |„,. ,;;,,,. shoes togcher ai „| m| u . "■illy. -oo shall I,- „;,„ declaied to sitively. ' TheCir! sat on a little bench at Ihe tho'd tee. jjeside her stood (| ic jj,,,. fussing wuh a little handful of wet sand. "What did your father s a y;" he askhtruu'csstng the sand iu'oue tainted "Well,'' replied the (,ir|. •■;,( | iVil t. , W j-ros, and said it was loo'iad ril.lt 1 could no. ,-ee wletl wis tor in""•'■good. 1,,- said that I'oichtVo i'''spect his judgment, ami follow it lat.to me 'an opinlon-if -d J-'Hitig' idiot.." 1,,- conttnued, '"and ,-„„ 'nit Jon iverea miilion times ((J „ „ , ,'„ite possddy he wa., Wg,,' ...h that nas nothing (o ,l„ Tt'th it 1 ' '''"' * iv IN' continue | I , adjured!'"' ,1i,, " ,, Si ""'' "''" ""'" '"'

T l "' (;il,l ™»sidero,l. •■TI„.„ ,!•„.,. •■ <■>>■ or two." si,, said. ■■!,, „,,,„„.,, , () set »«■.! to n„. i,i, :l „r ,„„. „„, „.;; rvmg. an,, Md m, that, of t .„,„," f ' 'iKlnt wish to I „ I,,'t-that ~,,,.,, were tether, good men; a . M (| , ',,,., "'i'lT.V one 0 f (hem „.;„!;, , , r(| , i . (i|U . l ;« the Hoy stopped moulding ~„, ; , ," ,l "'" 1 p( 'io I*.' what sh,.\vas te;;,;;t ji »«*<■ ««- - ■■■'

"And then, this mornm-" si,. „ „» on, "lie told me tnal lie „~, s Vl „. v ,', , j;-i i i-i 1,,,,, „-is,. ;;;:„,;;,",:!:' Hint a innrria"e with von „.„l,'i , ,li,l "' i l '"'* «eM besmted '., , ; other." '■' ""' '"' SC '"'" f '' ""VVliat eC'dhl "Noiliing. exeep! thai I n.u-i („,■■.,( tlmt any ~|,,, „,• „,.„.,.,.,•,.., yill| ,-J ■''rcr been advanced. an,i that he was '•What did von sav'<" he ,sh.,| "\\liy. I told him J (~0i,..|, L„ n ," m,mi ' :^> . "Why. of „„„,„■■ „ Ilp ~,,, '■'st lier dark eyes on his. /•, ~.„, ~., ~ slie Went on, naivelv. "He wn , ,|„ ir ., jiistwhal wewantHl ,to d,',. was,,* The Boy's face changed. "I -uppo-o *", be admitted reluctantlv, and ,:■ to kneading ti„. sand :i»ain" ".Much the same as yours." uo a „. Mvere.l. "At first he was lerv cross ■'['"•it il. liu; then he said if , V e didn't think we'd be compatible he wouldn't insist. And then inst'like .viir father, he said that, after all he " i " 1 I'l'obably been mistaken, and thai now. il w, wanted 1,, mnrrv he world his co „s,,nl „,,der 'no rircuui.

~ '">■■ ''"'l >H-.M»lll.-l..-.|. -Did ,-,„„- «■».•>• s.y tln.tr ,| m demanded r,:,i,k The J!,.v no.ia. a. "U'liy. s„ ,li,| ~„•„,.!•' .],e 1.,-ih 'II": I'.ov sat down I,H(I, 1,,.,- „n the '"•U-11. Hand clasped ill 1i;,|1.1. elhnuu l>ou knees, lie remained f ur s , „„,. JHenU deep i„ thought. T |„,, ,„. turned to her. "U'lHild it he anv u,e. ,1m v„h think r' In: asked at leu-lli. ' "\Voiild what be any use':" "To iif.k -tlii.ii- consent/' ]„. replied, slowly. ' . "lint vhy bliould «■(■:'• .he n,,,.,-;,,! 'lou don't w-.niL to mari-v in-" II.: turned to her imp'ul.ivch. -I do! ' lie cried, and |>o,itivolv. '■. But you tniil ■'

"Jliiii;.' what I «iul! ' ],,. <)..,.!;,,-,.,| V'-lieinently. illoyieallv- hut, nrn.i n-,,' ■"■ ll -. v - ■•I'""- > .1" 'waul i,j „„„, v"li. and I mi -0i1,., („." ■•li.it/' mi,- .dejected, -1 don't—-" •■i'-, wai do!'- |„. in(ei- n1 ,,;,.d. ~,, - hand, in hi. Tl'.' r.'d Id i ~„■:;,,! l'„ [„.,. ~|„,.k M... >\u„,\; 1,,-,- ,1,-ad. ,\"H d"/' he eoniliKlnd-d. can-lit ll„ »,ey „ U cs a!l d dwell tlh'-ee 'i'heu 'she, nodded, slowly. "i do-" she. whisjiered.'so -nfV.v ihal lie fcttircely heard. Jfut tie, understood. And at the club two middle nee I, ne]|- K i-oonied fathers sat and chuckled .""I .-hu.-kled. and ehuekled a-aiii-. -,,„'( Hie Willie,- v. (~, r ened llieni their champagne .pule forgot ||». 1.-m1.1.. "|.pie..1,,,( ~1 „i, iv.. l „ j ||.,|,i,i; i e. - t ,,,{ Wan e. elmekie l„„ [„,- ,„. „,,. ~ roeial.:.- ..oiii. and. eve,, tlin,e_.|, he did i".; l-iI.HV what the joke wa.. he fell Mire it was a e,„id one. and did h ape aeeordiujriy One middle acred, veil "i-uomed i'-i tlier lifted -a Inlminiii" -Ci-. rn,' I,H, "To ll,e bride and l.lidee ril ,„„:-'"h,; .Tied. "Mial! 11. lnein t0ii1..,,. lU ,„. n.-:-.l il.n ;••' lauodicd lalhei- lm „.,- "NeNt din." laiHicd l.ilher number l»'o. "Tlley have been dlsnhedienl. most dhul.ed|e„(."